BREEDING ICONIC CHICKEN LINES,
A LEGACY FOR FUTURE FARMERS
By Manny Piñol
Early this morning, my only grandchild, Duane, who spent the weekend here in my farm in Kidapawan City, asked me to bring him to the place where I breed chicken.
Duane, who is almost 4, is not quite comfortable with chicken yet, especially the peculiar breeds which I have in several pens.
In fact, when I showed him a huge Asil rooster, he hid behind me not wanting to get near the giant chicken.
I believe though that in due time, Duane will feel comfortable with the strange looking chicken breeds which I am breeding in my farm.
There are at least seven iconic chicken breeds which I am perpetuating in my farm, including the Asil which was brought to the country by Islamic missionaries coming in to the Southern Philippines from Pakistan and India as early as the 14th century.
These fowls are huge sometimes weighing up to 5 kilos and are used by the Muslims of Mindanao in a traditional sport where they are fought naked heel.
There are looking variants of the Asils and they are variably called “Jolo,” “Basilan,” or “Parawakan.”
A few years ago, I acquired from American breeders April Howington, James Clem and Benjie Gutoc, several iconic breeds which I am keeping in my farm.
These fowls include the famous American breeds Rhode Island Reds, New Hampshire, Plymouth Barred Rock and the Black Australorp.
I also have the blue egg-laying Ameraucana, the Brahma, the Jersey Giant and the Indonesian breed Ayam Cemani which is distinctly black.
All of these fowls are being bred now because I would like to perpetuate these lines.
I am sure that when he grows up, my grandson Duane, will surely appreciate that his grandfather kept for him iconic chicken lines which he would later be proud to declare as his inheritance from his grandfather, the chicken farmer.
(The first two frames show the huge Asil cock and the Asil pair. Succeeding frames show the Black Parawakans from Zamboanga, the Rhode Island Red and New Hampshire, the Ameraucana, the Brahma, the Jersey Giant, the Ayam Cemani, the Plymouth Barred Rock and the Black Australorp.)
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